The Canadian Horticulturist. i6i 



so well known to us all of late years, on account of the interesting experi- 

 ments with Russian and other hardy fruits which he has carried out there. 



In 1873 he made repeated trips to the United States, studying the 

 pomolog)'^ of that country, bringing everything worthy of trial to his farm, 

 not merely in sufficient quantities to stock his own farm, but also enough 

 to make free distributions of trees and plants to his neighbors. 



In 1882 Mr. Gibb, in company with Prof. Budd of the Iowa Agricultural 

 College, went to Russia in quest of the most hardy fruits which might be 

 expected to endure the extremes of temperature to which the northern 

 parts of Canada and the United States are subject. Prof. Budd had already 

 made a large collection of hardy fruits at Ames, but so little was definitely 

 known of the names and values of the various Russian fruits that it seemed 

 necessary that some one should go to Russia charged with this errand. 

 Speaking of it afterward Mr. Gibb, with his characteristic modesty, said, 

 " Northern Horticulturists were looking with great hopes to Russian fruits. 

 The work could not be allowed to rest. Some one must go to Russia ; 

 Mr. Budd and I went." On pages 192-230 of our report for 1883, "i^y be 

 seen a full report of this journey, written by Mr. Gibb, who, it is well worth 

 noting, took this costly journey at his own expense. This trip was followed 

 by importations of trees and seeds which were distributed to the members 

 of the different Fruit Growers Associations of the Province of Quebec, and 

 seeds of which were sent to the Experimental Farm, Ottawa, and to the 

 Botanic Garden at Montreal. 



In 1887 he went alone over the same ground, to verify his previous work, 

 visiting in addition, Norway, Sweden and Denmark. Other trips were 

 made in the interests of Horticulture to the North-West, British Colum- 

 bia, California, etc., and in July, 1889, he left for this last one around 

 the world, taking in especially Japan, China, India, and other countries. 



Freighted with much valuable information, he was on his way home when 

 his death occured on the 8th of March last, in Egypt. As has already been 

 stated, he contracted La Grippe at Aden, which developed into double 

 pneumonia. His remains were interred in the British Protestant Cemetery 

 at Cairo, on the loth, the funeral being attended by several friends. It 

 was in accordance with his extreme modesty, by which he was especially 

 characterized in life, that he made the request that his funeral would be 

 conducted in a plain unostentatious manner. 



Cut off in the prime of life, his life work apparently only fairly begun, 

 he has yet left many works which will be a lasting monument to his 

 memory. The following list, as well as many of the notes used in com- 

 piling this sketch, has been furnished us by Mr. John Craig, viz: " Notes 

 on the Trees and Shrubs of Europe," describing those best adapted to 

 Canadian culture : " Russian Fruits," the best description extant of Rus- 

 sian apples imported by the United States Department of Agriculture in 



